Gas mask canister tester



May 25, 1948. H. E. TREMAIN GAS MASK CANISTER TESTER Filed March 16-, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet -l FIGJ INVENTOR. y Ear Tremmm W ATTORNEY y 1948- H. E. TREMAIN GAS MASK CANISTER TESTER I Filed March 16, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Henry. Earl Tremai'n ATTORNEY Patented May 25, 1948 GASMASK CANISTER TESTER Henry Earl Tremain, Wyandotte, Mich, assignor to Wyandotte Chemicals Corporation, Wyandotte, Mich., a corporation of Michigan ApplicationMarch 16, 1945, Serial No. 583,067

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to a device for testing the operating efliciency of a canister or cartridge employed in gas masks. My device is particularly suited to the testing of such a cartridge as is used for protection against mercury vapor. Mercury vapor gas masks find considerable use in such chemical and metallurgical industries as chlorine plants, plants manufacturing mercury compounds, mercury mines and mercury refining plants, and in electrical manufacturing plants where metallic mercury is employed as in the manufacturing of mercury switches and lamps; and for the purpose of protecting the health and safety ofthe workmen against the hazard of inhaling mercury vapor. Heretofore, when the canister or cartridge has lost its ability to absorb mercury vapor efficiently or to counteract it to prevent its inhalation into the human body, the likelihood of the workmen continuing to wear the gas mask withthe ineffective cartridge has been very great for the main' andsimple reason that. no means has been provided for determining when failure occurs.

. It is, therefore, the general object'and nature of my invention to-provide a device, relatively simple and economical in structure, and capable of facile use, even by the most relatively unskilled-operator, whereby the cartridge may be tested-to determine whether it remains operative, and thus capable of protectin the health and safety of the person using it.

Afurther object of my invention is to provide a simple and convenient device for evaluating the life 'or sorptive capacity of gas absorbers under any desired flow rates, temperatures or other conditions of operation;

Another object of my invention is to provide a source for generating mercury vapor, which source forms an integral and assembled part of the testing device itself. A pool of mercury vapor constitutes the simplest form of such a generating source, but is subject to the objection of the possibility of spillage, as well as requiring a relatively large investment in a costly material, particularly when the testing device is to be manufactured in relatively large quantities. My invention provides a mercury vapor generating source, inthe form of a mercury'wetted or amalgamated metallic surface, and incorporated as a part, of the testing device, such mercury vapor generating source functions as a means for conveniently and economically generating mercury vapor against which the gas mask canister or cartridge is to be tested for its proof against passage of such vapor.

To the accomplishment of these and additional objectives and to enable any person skilled in-the art readily to understand and practice the;invention, the following full and concise description and annexed drawing set forth the best mode in which I have contemplated applying the principle thereof. 7

In said annexed drawing Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a gas mask canister testing device constructed according to the principles of my invention and assembled for use in conjunction with a mercury vapor detector,

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of my testing device,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view thereof;

Fig. 4 is an elevational view showing the upper clamping member in open position, and I Fig. 5 is a detailed perspective view of the mercury-wettedvanes servingas the source for generating the mercury vapor.

Now referring more particularly to the draw ing, the testing device shown therein comprises a supporting base I which may be suitably mounted upon legs such as indicated at 2 and having the hollow'platform 3 which presents an upper horizontal surface for the reception of the gas mask cartridge-which is'to be tested,- A

washer or gasket 4 of resilient material, such "as rubber, is mounted on the top of the'platform 3 and the guide brackets 5 main turn'locatedjon top of the washer 4, whereby thecylindrical canister'or cartridge 6 (of customary constructionas used in gas masks) can simply be-rested upon the top of the gasket 4 and held in proper aligned position by the guide brackets 5;

An upper clamping member -1 which is of boxlike form with a hollow interior, is hinged to the platform 3' by means of the piano or any suitable type hinge 8. The upper'clamping'member 'lalso carries a gasket 9 on its lower or'bottomside, Thus, when the cartridge 6 is inserted into the testin device, the clamping member 1 is swung to its lowered or closed position, and such cartridge is held in a clamped position, with the flanges on its opposite sides sealed to the outside atmosphere.

A series: of metal strips, of a mercury-w'ettable material [0 such as iron, zinc, copper, silver zor I Monel metal, and having their surfaces wetted or amalgamated with mercury, are assembled in a fanlike or any convenient'arrangement, being clamped together as indicated in l I and mounted by means of the bracket [2 upon the inside vertical wall of the clamping member 1. One vertical side wall of the clamped member I is open to the V TheAmeriCanStandards flexible tube 20 leading to the mercury yapoi" detector 2|. M an L The operation of the above' d s' rib quite simple and is outlined 'substantiall 1 lows; i

The cartridge 6 is removedv from theighls mask,

placed on the platform 3 and the upper clamping member 1 moved to a closed position; Air is drawn or led in through the opening [3 past the mercury wetted 'vanes" whereby mercury vaporis entraind 'iri the 'in'c'o'mingiair stream. This air stram then' passes through the air opening l 6', through the interior df th'e 'c'artridgefi, thence th'rough the; opening n to the passageway; l 8 and thr'oughthe connection 19" and through ;2 0 jto mercury vapor detector 2 I If the latter're'gisters the pi sence of nieroury vapon itis thereby iin mediate indicated thatthe cartridge? is no longerop'erativenor'fiti forluse' in the gas mask and hence-subject to be discarde'd. f on the other hand, if the detector 2 l"f ailsto indi'cate the pre enceof mercury vapon it rhea s that the cartridge 6 is still functionin prqpeny;

Kssociatiorflias estab: lished the imaiiimuni limitof concentration, of

mercuryjrapor or mailer-am per 1 0 c ms meters of air in the"atmosphere of:w'orking'places as that which is safe for the health 'df workersj Thus, if the -mercury-vapordetectoi shows a-concentration great r than this standard specification to be passing f hrough the-cartridge under test, the latter-is no -longersafeej 553 It is-reco'mmended thatthe actual entrainment of mercuryin the {air stream drawn into the testing device he checkedf rom: time to time by the insertion ofa b lank-canister Circartridge in place of mafiuegenwmge 6.; If theinercury vapor detecitor l -then shows; the; presence in the air,

streamormore than the sage, ;ma5gimuln amount of'inef ury tapqi; thisfwillmean that the mercury general; n'g source 51; functioning properly and suitable forithe aetual test of the cartridge 6. j

From the foregoingdescription of my inventionit should cbeegua1ly' apparnt;to those s'k illed in thear-t that my testing device can also be readily adapted to..the testing of" gas mask "canisters and cartfldgesjfor the; absorption. of o'ther poisonous, torri -and noxiou gasessuchas carbon monox ide, carl on1 oliorride;- fluorine; hydrogen sulfide, et and particularly those gaseswhose presence .v EQRBKQQX herds eds t e n ide qfi it pesfi ihgr fi 915 i it t ih me S ch an e uiyalent adaptation will, .of, course, involve the 'use of a different type of a gas detector than them rcuryIi/apor. detectonrzl hereinJshownjand ugh ,the testing device, st which the ,canister pii fig he principleiof inment infthe incomsurfa'ce-wetted element 'moiinted'withi 4 invention, in addition to the one herein and above described and illustrated in detail, may be employed, provided the structural elements stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such elements be utilized.

I, therefore, particularly point out 1. A"device"forf,-test" g the. o'perajbilitj of a gas 'mask cartridge comprising" a hollow supporting base having a horizontal surface for receiving the cartridge in surface-toV-surface contact thereon,

a hollow,; hinged1y mounted upper member on said 7 base and spaced therefrom, when in horizontal apositioriglajdistaiice substantially equal to the V thickness ofesaid eartridge, said upper member" having a surfacea'dapted to contact the upper side ofissiaid cartridgaisaid upper member having an opening in itsgside wall to the atmosphere,and V a conduit leading from the interior of said base, said horizontalsur faceof said supportingbase and said-"surface of said upper member each m openifigsithereiii placing theinteriorof aid supporting ibase 'and of said upper m'mber," spectively, in c ommunication with 's are 3 ea when the d e'vig' isin operative position A 2 A device} for testing the r o'pe'rabili-ty -o a mercuryyaporabsorbinggasmasli cartridge-co prisinga hollow supporting base having; a ho -wes q nia' un eba nemic were; ly mountedupperjnember on saidbase andspaged therefrom, when irihofizorital position, a distance-'- sub'stantiallylequal to the thickness of" said ca trid-g'e, said upper mernberhavinga surf-ace. adapted to contact the upperside-of'said car tridgeg; side from,

saidupper 'niember havlng an openingin its: e to am sph' e ndui le l the interiorof said base,- ai 1d{a p r im imer E cury wetted vanes located within said upper mern;

wbentrie devie'eis in operativ l os ti 3.;Afdeviqeflfor ts-sting -theoperab' 1 mercury vapgr' absorbinggasask cart-ridge prising the cc- 'bir atio 6 53a liolltiwQElifizontal-Q supportingg frieinber upon which the-cartridg beitested is adapted t'cirst, anupw ardlywi able clamping member hihgedto said sup r member; each :of' said rnniliers having a 1510 w interi r?eoniinu ieatingwitn-oppositesides-d ssimcartridge when '-the clatter: is iclamped the'reb tween; a tconduittleadingttoi the interior'of one of said members, the otherlofsaid-membe ing an opening to thejatmosphera aiida saidclampili'g'membrsf f Y insurer nan'r ani rr ni REFERENCE-S CITE and distinct-1 V p l im s mri v and d sco r zontal surface; f or receiving the carn uge infsu'r i 

